PS4 to be on shelves this year, Sony says

Associated Press

Published: Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 9:07 p.m.

NEW YORK - Sony is sharing the PlayStation 4 with the world.

The Japanese electronics giant unveiled the new gaming system Wednesday, hyping the machine as a "supercharged PC" with the ability to effortlessly share interactive experiences, from instantly broadcasting videos of gaming action or virtually handing out health potions to friends online.

Sony said the system will feature an eight-core processor that can juggle more tasks than the PlayStation 3 and be part of a new digital ecosystem.

"Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.

The PS4 is Sony's first major game machine since the PS3 went on sale in 2006.

The unveiling is Sony's attempt to steal the spotlight from Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co., at least until Microsoft unveils its next Xbox in June, as expected.

Among the PS4's revisions is an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.

No prices were revealed for the PS4, but Sony said it would be released later this year.

<p><em>NEW YORK</em> - Sony is sharing the PlayStation 4 with the world.</p><p>The Japanese electronics giant unveiled the new gaming system Wednesday, hyping the machine as a "supercharged PC" with the ability to effortlessly share interactive experiences, from instantly broadcasting videos of gaming action or virtually handing out health potions to friends online.</p><p>Sony said the system will feature an eight-core processor that can juggle more tasks than the PlayStation 3 and be part of a new digital ecosystem.</p><p>"Our long-term vision is to reduce download times of digital titles to zero," said Mark Cerny, Sony's lead system architect on the PS4.</p><p>The PS4 is Sony's first major game machine since the PS3 went on sale in 2006.</p><p>The unveiling is Sony's attempt to steal the spotlight from Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo Co., at least until Microsoft unveils its next Xbox in June, as expected.</p><p>Among the PS4's revisions is an updated controller that adds a touchpad and a "share" button. The controller also features a light bar, which means a new PlayStation camera can more easily track the device for motion control.</p><p>No prices were revealed for the PS4, but Sony said it would be released later this year.</p>